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• <br />• <br />• <br />Anoka County Multi- Jurisdictional <br />All Hazards Mitigation Plan <br />Fire Risk: The combined effects of blast overpressure damage and the thermal pulse or fireball <br />can ignite combustible materials, causing sustained fires. Primary fires are those ignited directly <br />by the thermal pulse. Secondary fires are generated by damage and destruction from blast <br />overpressures and result from the disruption of furnaces and gas and electric lines. <br />Fallout risk: A nuclear explosion near the ground makes a big crater. Earth from the crater is <br />changed from solids into hot gas and fine dust. This hot gas and dust, together with vaporized <br />materials, form a giant fireball that rises rapidly and becomes the top part of the nuclear <br />mushroom cloud. The heavier particles of earth become the stem of the mushroom cloud. The <br />earth in the stem and in the mushroom cloud becomes radioactive. The top of the mushroom is <br />a cloud of fine particles. The heavier, larger particles settle close to the point of explosion, the <br />small particles float several hundred miles in the wind. The first 24 hours is the most dangerous <br />period as the initial fallout is highly radioactive. The delayed fallout particles lose much of their <br />radioactivity and reaches earth in rain or snow over periods ranging from days to years. <br />The three kinds of dangerous radiation in fallout are alpha, beta and gamma. Gamma radiation <br />penetrates the body, causing damage to organs, blood and bones. Large doses of gamma <br />radiation can cause sickness or death. Small doses incurred over a long period of time may not <br />have an immediate effect, but may cause various forms of illness later in life. Genetic damage in <br />subsequent generations may also result. Alpha radiation is stopped by the outer skin layers and <br />does not usually present an external hazard. However, if contaminated air, food, or water enters <br />the body in sufficient quantity, considerable internal damage can occur. Beta radiation is more <br />penetrating and may cause burns where fallout particles have deposited on the skin. <br />The effects of a nuclear attack have varying effects on populations. Those people located near <br />the explosion would be killed or seriously injured by the blast, heat, or initial nuclear radiation. <br />People a few miles away would be subject to blast, heat, and fires. A high percentage of the <br />population residing in the lighter damaged areas would probably survive, but might <br />subsequently be endangered by radioactive fallout. <br />4.2.2.2 Civil Disturbance /Strikes/Workplace Violence <br />Civil disorder is defined as any incident intended to disrupt community affairs and threaten the <br />public safety. Civil disorders include: riots mob or strike violence, and any demonstration <br />resulting in police intervention and arrests. <br />Workplace Violence is defined as employees who are exposed to the use of harassment, <br />intimidation, physical force, or the abuse of power or authority, where the intent is to control by <br />causing pain, fear or hurt. <br />4.2.2.3 Dam /Levee Failure <br />A dam /levee is a barrier constructed across a watercourse for the purpose of storage, control, or <br />diversion of water. Dams generally fall into the following categories <br />Earth Dams make up the vast majority of dams and are safe if they are properly constructed <br />and maintained. <br />Concrete Gravity Dams are designed to resist sliding and shaped to resist overturning. <br />Arch Concrete Dams are used to narrow sites and have strong abutments. <br />Gravity Arch Concrete Dams are a conservative design of the Arch. <br />Buttress Concrete Dams have a strong foundation and are resistant to sliding, overturning and <br />overflowing. <br />